“It’s perfect,” he said, and well, Rowan had to agree. Perfect was definitely the best way to sum up the day.
BOXING DAYwent marginally better in that Kaira had enough energy to open the rest of her presents and didn’t vomit on anyone or anything, but she still spent the day eating soup, drinking as much Pedialyte as they could force into her, and watching Christmas movies.
Jordy went back to work on the twenty-seventh, but since it was an away game in Seattle, he was hardly gone much longer than if it had been a home game.
Then Kaira was feeling well enough to leave the house, and they filled their days with family activities in between Jordy’s practices and games.
By some miracle the Orcas weren’t playing on the thirtieth or thirty-first, though they had a New Year’s Day matinee. The two days off inspired Ryan to extend two invitations—a team New Year’s Eve party on the thirty-first and free babysitting the day before.
Or as the text he sent Jordy put it,Bro, let the hubby and me watch the kid while you take your boo out to dinner. He deserves to be wined and dined after taking your kid on a transcontinental flight.
That was the least of what Rowan deserved, but Jordy hardly had time to whisk him away for a romantic weekend in Whistler, and even if he had, it wasn’t as though Jordy could’veskied or snowboarded. Besides, he couldn’t justify spending a whole night away from Kaira when he’d just gotten her back in his time zone.
Instead, he settled for a chilly romantic walk through VanDusen Park to see the light displays, and then a nice dinner out.
Or—he tried to settle for that, but as soon as they took their seats at the second-floor table Jordy had reserved at Tap & Barrel, Rowan looked at him, their knees brushed under the table, and Jordy watched in real time as the same spark that went up his spine went up Rowan’s.
Rowan licked his lips and cleared his throat. “We could have a pizza delivered,” he suggested, and that suddenly sounded perfect.
Jordy gave his apologies to their bemused server, left a hundred-dollar tip, and bundled Rowan right back into the car.
Jordy’s knees were too old for any kind of “lovemaking on a rug by the fireside” nonsense. Fortunately there was also a gas fireplace in the master bedroom, so they could have all the ambiance with none of the protesting joints. They made thorough messes of each other—Jordy unrepentantly left a hickey on the side of Rowan’s neck that he’d be explaining away at work for weeks—and only dragged themselves out of bed when the pizza arrived so that it didn’t freeze to the doorstep.
They ate tangled up together on the couch, too hungry to bother with plates, catching stray dribs of cheese with paper towels.
“This was definitely a better idea than dinner out,” Jordy admitted as Rowan stretched out a leg. Jordy lifted his thigh so Rowan could tuck his foot under.
Rowan sucked a glob of sauce from his thumb. “I am a genius.”
Jordy still wanted to wine and dine him, of course. Rowan deserved that. But that would’ve meant sharing him, and Jordy would only get to have this for a few more days.
When he thought about it too much, it put a knot in the pit of his stomach. Couldn’t Rowan be a librarian anywhere? Wouldn’t he want to do that here, with Jordy and Kaira, if he loved them as much as he claimed to? But then, he’d worked hard for his job, and Jordy wasn’t about to give up the life he’d worked for either.
“Hey.” Rowan flexed his toes under Jordy’s leg. “Happy thoughts only, mister.”
Jordy made a face at him and almost lost a string of cheese to gravity because he wasn’t paying attention. “Do you remember that charity fundraiser dinner?”
“The one where you were trying to hide in the bathroom?” Rowan smiled. “No, I’ve completely forgot. Jordy, I still have dreams about that suit.”
One last bite and then Jordy wiped his greasy hands with a napkin. “You were the best thing about that night.”
He wasn’t quite brave enough to look at Rowan while he said it, but he glanced over afterward and was rewarded with a tender, open expression. “I don’t have any regrets,” Rowan promised.
Jordy did. He wished he’d pulled his head out of his ass sooner. But he wasn’t allowed to say that out loud or even think it too loud, apparently, so he made a joke instead. “No? You could’ve had the fourth-richest man in Toronto.”
Rowan cackled. “God! I should send him a picture of the two of us together. That’ll give him a real thrill.”
“Don’t you dare.” Jordy laughed. “He’ll probably frame it and put it on his nightstand.”
“Nah.” Rowan waggled his eyebrows. “Gotta keep that kind of thing under the mattress.”
They collapsed into horrified giggles, but eventually those subsided too, leaving them in a warm, aching kind of silence.
“What are you thinking right now?” Rowan asked after a moment.
“Wondering if I’d be a terrible boyfriend if I wanted to pick Kaira up early,” Jordy admitted.
The foot wriggled out from under his butt. “Thank God,” Rowan said. “I thought I was going to have to suggest it. I miss that little nugget. Let’s go.”
